Control device for outboard motors



.gmane 26, 'W56 2,751,875

H. P. HENRY CONTROL DEVICE FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fi ledDeo. 4, 1951 19 24 HOWQRTH F HENRY 4 .i fifi/7W WWW/WW@ q Y June 26,1956 H. P. HENRY 2,75L875 CONTROL DEVICE F'OR OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed DGO.4, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 SPRING LOQD VERT. PLRTE POSITION HlZ INVENTOFEHovvmew P Hamm United States Patente() CONTROL DEVICE FOR OUTBOARDVMOTRS Howarth PaHenry, Euglishtown, NJ.

Application December 4, 195'1,1Serial-No'.259,7'53

Claims. .(Cl. 11S- 18) The present `invention relates to novel anduseful improvements in devices for controlling -the directin V(forwardor reverse) in which a boat-is propelled by a motor-and it relates,moreparticularlyfto a control device -for attachment to an outboardmotor.

Au object lof the present invention is vto provide a simple andinexpensive control' device which is particu- 'larly 4adapted forattachment to an outboard motor to control the direction (forward orreverse) in which a boat will be driven by the motor. A control deviceembodying -the present invention does not involve the use of gears orany alteration of the working parts of the motor and its operation isventirely automatic.

`Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentand best understood from the following description and the 'accompanyingvdrawings in which:

Fig. lis-a side view of a control device embodying the present invention-as attached -to an outboard motorg Fig. 2 is a rear view 'of thecontroll device shown in Fig. I;

Fig. 3 is a section View talien along the line 3--3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a section View ktaken-along the line 4-'4 of Fig.2;

Fig. 5 is a section -view taken along thelin'e 5-5 of Fig. 3';

Fig. -6 is 'a section vview taken along the line 6=6 of Fig. 3;

Figs. 7 .and 8 are side view s of the control device shown in Fig. 1ywith the Vparts in different operating positions thereof; and

Fig. 9 is a graph schematically'illustrating-theoperatingcharacteristics of a control device such as"illustrated in Pig. 1.

Referring to vthe drawings in detail, the lower portion of aconventional outboard motor is illustrated and ythis portion includes Yadrive shaft housing 10 Ywhich has a propeller 11 located at its lowerendv beneath an anticavitation Vand exhaust plate 12.

A bracket' 1'3 hasportionslocated o n opposite sides of the shafthousing 10 Yand is detachably clamped ythereto bymeans of a'nut and-bolt 14. The bracket `13 hastwo oppositely disposed arms 15-whichextend'rearwardly of the shaft housing 10 to va point Aabovethe-propeller I1. The arms 15 have ,aligned openingstherein' throughwhich a shaft 16 extends and is thus supported .by .the arms. A controlplate 17 is supported on the shaft 16 and isrnovable about-the` shaftfrom avertlcal position to a horizontal lposition with stops limitingits movement to an arc of about v120 degrees. The 1Z0-degree-movementzof the yplatejsprovicled toallow for-.anliangular fpositionofthey shaft housings-.10 when' the m'o'tor' in- Stalledonatbdat s Y,Whenvtlle Qontrol plate 17 is in {vertical-position, it extendsdownwardly around the anti-cavitation and exhaust plate 12 o'fetlre`motor and the lower portion of `theplate @is ,located immediately'in-back o'f pro-n in opposition-to the'springs and inV this position,the at 2,751,875 Patented June 26, 1956 peller 11 in fairly closeproximity thereto andIis of suflivcient -sizeto oppose the eiective areaof thevpropellers action. The'portion of the control plate 17opposite-to -the propeller 11 is curved in a vertical plane and '-has `avgenerallyY concave surface with the plate partially Ven- -closing thepropeller at the sides thereof. The bottom end of the plate is dat, yasindicated at 18, to provide-a surface on which the plate can plane whenit is in fits horizontal position as shown in Fig. 8.

They control plate 17 is normally held in its vertical position --byV apair of coil springs 19 and 19. TheA- coil springs 19 and 19' areconnected to the-plate `17 `byeyebolt's- 20 and Vto ears 21 extendingfrom the bracket 13. Concentrically arranged Within the coil springs 19and 19', respectively, there are supplementalV coil springs '22 and 23.APlungers 24 are slidably fitted within the supplemental springs 22 and23 and are connected to tthe eye-bolts 20 on the plate 17. The ends ofthe plungers 24 have headed'portions 25 which engage with the ends ofthe supplemental springs 22 and 23 and thus, bring .the supplementalsprings into action in addition to the main springs 19 and 19 as theplate 17 swings from its vertical or down position to its horizontal orup position. `For purposes described hereinafter, the supplementalsprings 22 and V23 are of dierent lengths and thus, come into action atdifferent points in thev movement of `the control plate.

The-'ears 212 on thebracket-l to which the coil springs ac'tin'gnon theplate are connected are so located with -respectl-to-the shaft 16on-w'hich the plate is supported that tl-.le momentA arm of the forcesof the springs acting on` the-plate decreases as the plate -17 swingsupwardly. 'Iu'stl prior :to thel plate reaching its horizontal position,Athe springs 19 .and19 strike stops 26 on the bracket 13 and are `bentslightly out of their normal line of action as indicated in Fig. 8. Inthis position, the moment arm of the vforce exerted by the springs onthe plate is very `'small `so thata very slight downward pull is exertedon the plate'. Thus, the plate' 17 will -be heldin its horizontal`position with relatively small forces acting on it trailing-edge -18 atthe bottom of the plate will in eiect provide-a planingY surface 'fortheplate sov that there will be-,avery small dragon the boat.

VThe operation of the attachment described above will 'bedescribed-with' particular reference toil-lig. 19. When thel motor" i'sstarted, the springs 19 and 1.9 holdfthe plate' 17" down or vin verticalposition and the action of thewater'b'eing forced against the plate 17by the upropeller causes ythe lboat to move backward o'r in reverse.vTheprincipleof this operation .has beenk'riown and'u'ti- 'lized'i'nthe'Kitchen rudder. As the speed ofthe-'pro- -peller is increased, theplate automatically raises and when the'plate reaches an angle of from20 to A25 degrees, the '-boat -w`il1-remain stationary -or be inneutral. rlhe Irst-or shorter supplemental springs 23 comes into action.at this position of the'plate 17- and has' the e'iect of holdingr-theVplate in this position over a range-fof propeller :speeds- .asl,represented =by -the portion Vof the curve lof Fig. '9indicated at A.

"When :thef -prop'eller speed isA increased suliiciently `'to iraise'thefplate stillffurlther, the boat willstart-mdving Aforwardand-Whentthefplate17'hasreached an angle of .approximately @t0 degrees,the ysecond supplementalspring 2't-.comes` intoaction and serves Vtomaintainthe plategat :this :position regardless .of .slight vchanges inpropeller fspeedszrepreuted bythe portionlof 4the curvelofzFig. 9.indicated atB. Thus, ,at .the A1.O-degree ,position of fthe:.plate,@forwardmovementoffthe:boat at aflow speedsuit-.able'forzt'rolling maintaind over Aafrange .of Vpropeller speeds;When-the `speed of :thepropellersisrzincreased zfurther, 'the-plate-y 17.then raises' quickly to tits :horizontal position, but due to thechanging moment arm of the springs, the forces acting on the plate 17decrease to a minimum when the plate is horizontal and the boat is.moving at fullspeed ahead. e 'Y Y VA s Vwill bey seen from theforegoing, the supplemental springs 22 and 23 each come into action atdiierent times and they maintain the Vplate in its neutral and trollingpositions over a range of motor speeds so that the Vmanipulation of themotor speed is not critical. Also, it

willY be seen that the operation of the present control device isentirely automatic depending entirely on the speed at which the motordrives the propeller.

1It will V,be understood that the angular position of the 3plate Yatwhich the boat stands still or moves forward at vtrolling speedmayvarysomewhat depending on the size Aof the plate and the action of theparticular propeller which it opposes. f However, such positions may bereadily ascertained for a given set of conditions and the action of thesupplemental springs may be provided for accordingly. l It will also beunderstood that various modifications and changes may be made in theembodiment of the invention illustrated and described herein withoutdeparting ,from the scope of the invention as dened by the followingclaims.

I claim:

l. In a device for automatically controlling the direction in which aboat is propelled by a motor-driven pro-V said downwardly extendingposition to akgenerallyV horizontal position, the portion of the plateopposing the propeller having a curved surface partially enclosing thepropeller, spring means for automatically controlling piv-f otalmovement of the plate, said spring means including a tension springhaving onerend thereof connected to the plate at a point located beneaththe pivot point and having its other end connected to the support at apoint spaced from the pivot point of the plate, said spring normallyacting to hold the plate in itsV downwardly eX- tending position, saidlocations of said points of connection providing a shortened line ofaction of the spring as the plate moves from its downwardly extendingposition towards its horizontal position and fulcrum means positioned inthe path of travel ofthe spring, said fulcrum l means engaging with thespring at a point intermediate Y its ends when the spring reaches thedead center position in movement of the plate toward its horizontalposition.

2. In a device for automatically controlling the direction in which aboat is propelled by a motor-driven propeller, the Vcombination as denedin claim 1 which includes a supplemental spring having one-Lendconnected Y to the support adjacent said point of connection of thelirst-mentioned tension spring therewithand means connected to the plateadjacent the point of Yconnection ofA the first-mentioned tension springand said plate, said Y means being slidably movable into engagement withsaid supplemental spring upon a predetermined angular movement of theplate from its downwardly extending position towards its horizontalposition and thereby enhanc-v ing the resistance of the rst-mentionedtension spring.

3. In a device for automatically controlling the direction in ,which aboat is propelled by'a motor-driven propeller of the type wherein acontrol plate'is pivotally mountedon a support at a point above apropeller and Vhas a downwardly extending portion located behind thexpropeller, said plate being pivotally movable through an f arc of atleast 90 degrees from a downwardly extending position to a horizontalposition, characterized by the combination with said control plate ofspring means for j automatically controlling pivotal movement of thecontrol plate, said spring means including a pair of tension springsconnected between the plate and the support, each of said springs havingone end thereof connected to the plate at a point beneath the pivotpoint of the plate and the other end thereof connected to the support ata point spaced from the pivot point of the plate, the connection pointsof the springs to the plate and the support being so located that theperpendicular distance from the pivot point of the plate to the line ofaction of the'spring decreases as the plate moves from its downwardlyextending position to a horizontal position and the springs occupy asubstantially dead center position with respect to the pivot point ofthe plate when the plate is in its horizontal position, and fulcrummeans positioned in the path of travel of the spring, said fulcrum meansengaging with the springs at a point intermediate their ends when thesprings reach said dead center position.

4. In a device for automatically controlling the direction` in which aboat is propelled-by a motor-driven propeller of the type wherein acontrol plate is pivotally mounted on a support at a point above apropeller and has a downwardly extending portion located behind thepropeller, said `plate being pivotally movable through an arc of atleast 90 degrees from a downwardly extending position to a horizontalposition, characterized by the combination with said control plate ofspring means for automatically controlling pivotal movement of thecontrol plate, said spring means including a pair of tension Vspringsconnected between the plate and the support, each of said springs havingone end thereof connected to the plate at a point beneath the pivotpoint of the plate and the other end thereof connected to the support ata point 'spaced from the pivot point of the plate, the connection pointsof the springs to the plate and the support `being so located that theperpendicular distance from the pivot point of the plate to the line ofaction of A the springs decreases as the plate moves from its downwardlyextending position to a horizontal position and ftheV springs occupy asubstantiallyY dead center position with respect to the pivot point ofthe plate when the plate is in its horizontal position, fulcrum meanslocated in the path of travel of the springs, said fulcrum meansengaging with the springs intermediate their ends when the springs reachsaid dead center position, a pair of i supplementallsprings, one of saidsupplemental springs being associated with each of said tension springsand Y having one end thereof connected to the support at the pointadjacent the connection of the associated tension spring thereto, andmeans connected to the plate for engaging with Vsaid supplementalsprings upon angular movement of the plate from its downwardly extendingposition toward its horizontal position, said engaging means includingmembers connected Vto theY plate adjacent the connections of the tensionsprings thereto, said members being slidably movable into engagementwith the supplemental springs.

5. In a device for automatically controlling the direction in which aboat is propelled by a motor-driven propeller, the combination as`deflned'in claim 4 wherein the supplemental springs are located withinthe iirstmentioned tension springs and the members engaging Y withthesupplemental springs engage with the respectiveyspringsat differentangular positions of the control plate.

i References Cited in thetile of this patent Y UNITED STATES PATENTS Y z1,863,944 Semmes June 21, 1932 V2,050,336 Karasinski Aug. .11, 19362,548,121 K Reid Apr. 10, '1951' L 2,601,396 Henry June 24, 1952 ,YFOREIGN PATENTSv 81,551 l Austria Oct. 25, 1920

